Let the record show that Manti Te’o is not afraid of Alabama or Georgia, one of which will oppose the linebacker’s 12-0, No. 1-ranked Notre Dame squad in the BCS title game on Jan. 7 in Miami.

“I think we’re all going to strap up our pads the same way, going to strap up our chin straps the same way. … We’re going to get after it,” Te’o, a 6-2, 255-pound senior, said on Thursday, two days before the much-anticipated SEC championship game.

“Whatever happens, we’re just going to make sure we’re the most prepared we’ve ever been.”

Is there a team he’d prefer to see win in Atlanta?

“Good luck to both teams,” Te’o said.

Te’o will figure out soon enough whether it’s Alabama or Georgia he intends to beat. For now, he’s just chilling. The extra rest since last weekend’s victory at USC has been just what the doctor ordered. There have been extended visits with friends.

“Dynamic player. Really, really good playmaker,” Te’o said of Manziel. “He always tends to make something out of nothing.

“I’m a real big fan.”

And in case you’re among those who’ve wondered why Te’o is in the Heisman boat with no defensive player from the big, bad SEC alongside him, you’ll be glad to know Te’o is a big fan of linebackers C.J. Mosely (Alabama) and Jarvis Jones (Georgia) as well.

“Both incredible players, big playmakers for their teams who continue to make big plays,” he said. “When they line up against each other this weekend, it’s definitely going to be something we all look forward to watching.”